


Begin Again

by Fandom_girl21



Category: Supernatural, The Old Guard (Comics), The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Dysfunctional Family, F/F, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Issues, Family Reunions, Family Secrets, M/M, Multi, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:07:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26600356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandom_girl21/pseuds/Fandom_girl21
Summary: There was a reason they were immortal. There was a reason they kept coming back together.OrAn anthology into The Old Guard and their dynamics and origins.Chapter 1: Lykon wakes up.Chapet 2: Lykon comes home.Chapter 3: Lykon remembers their family.Chapter 4: Sebastien is saved.Chapter 5: Copley is called to the Principal's office because one of his kids got into a fight...
Relationships: Andromache of Scythia & Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani & Nicky | Nicolo di Genova & Nile Freeman, Andy | Andromache of Scythia & Lykon, Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Lykon, Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Lykon/Quynh | Noriko, Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Nile Freeman/Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Andy | Andromache/Booker | Sebastien/Nile Freeman/Joe | Yusuf/Lykon/Nicky | Nicolo/Quynh | Noriko, Andy | Andromache/Booker | Sebastien/Nile Freeman/Joe | Yusuf/Nicky | Nicolo/Quynh | Noriko, Booker | Sebastien le Livre & Nile Freeman, Booker | Sebastien le Livre & Quynh | Noriko, Booker | Sebastien le Livre/Everyone, Booker | Sebastien le Livre/Lykon, Booker | Sebastien le Livre/Nile Freeman, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Quynh | Noriko, Nile Freeman/Quynh | Noriko
Comments: 5
Kudos: 54





	1. Coming Home Part I

**Author's Note:**

> Blended a bit of comic and movie canon. 
> 
> Enjoy! 😉

Lykon woke in stages, his eyes the last to open. His breath was ragged, so much - so much _pain_. 

He slowly sat up, looking down to see himself fully healed. He was somewhere dark. He could hear the jungle outside - the sound of insects chirping to one another. They created a natural music that helped ground him.

He smiled softly even in death his Sun and Moon cared for his body. He looked at the rock that sat in the entrance keeping him safe, keeping anyone else away. 

He stood and brushed at his clothes, sighing as his clothes fell off him in tatters pieces of dust. 

He'd have to fix that soon. His mind went back to the images shown to him in dreams. 

Quynh thrown into an iron maiden. He swallowed, had his moon not found her then? Is that why he could feel his sun's pain even now? Her terror and rage? 

He sighed and ran a hand over his shoulder, flinching as he remembered the knife wound on his Andromache's shoulder.

He needed to get to them soon, he could feel something coming. 

He pushed the Boulder out of the way and stepped into the dappled light of the sun. 

He whistled high and sharp, an answering call - he grinned. His birdcalls were coming in handy. 

Oh, how his loves had teased him about such things. How no one could know where they were by _bird calls_. 

He shook his head, who was the fool now loves? He was in somewhere in the French countryside. 

He'd have to wait for his dreams to know where to go. Better he get some food and water in him before then. 

As if on cue his mouth went dry, his body began to shake. He was so _hungry_. 

He spent the rest of the day hunting some rabbits and finding water. He roasted them over an open fire devouring them. 

He looked up at the nightsky, the fire crackling before him. 

He smiled soflty remembering the first time he had met Quynh. How like fire her eyes had been. 

Andromache had dreamed of Quynh first but had found him first. She had left him somewhere like this to get Quynh. 

*******

_He remembered the moment he saw Quynh. He had thought that the fire paled before her. Her aura so bright it eclipsed the stars._

_When he had told her this 10 or so years later she had laughed delighted. She had pulled him into a searing kiss._

_She had asked what he had thought of Andromache when they had first met._

_Lykon had smiled at Andromache as she skinned a rabbit, her back to them. Though he knew she was listening._

_Lykon had said she had stood in the silhouette of the moon. How she had looked to be chiseled from ivory._

_Bone tired and weary of the world as she had offered her hand to him._

_He had remembered thinking this wasn't a God like the rumors had swirled._

_This was a star, a piece of the moon given form. Beautiful and deadly. A moon that stood still as her waves drowned and remade kingdoms._

_A moon who had seen civilizations rise and fall, who had grown numb to all the suffering around her._

_He had vowed to remind her of the beauty around her, of the nurturing and care mothers held for their children._

_Quynh had sniffed and nodded._

_That had been her first thought too, to break through the wall Andromache had kept up._

_Andromache had finally turned to them, she stood over them before she gave a small smile._

_She laughed as she slid to her knees before them._

_"If I am the moon and Quynh is the sun, you are the earth Lykon. You ground us, you temper our rage and bloodlust. You remind me love is not a weakness."_

_Quynh had nodded and turned Lykon's face to look at her._

_"You are wildflowers and overhanging branches. Shade and beauty, you remind me to look at the beauty around me. Even as I lay bleeding out on the ground."_

_He had given a watery smile, he hadn't remembered what he had said...but they had forgone dinner that night._

*******

Lykon blinked and brushed the tears away. How long had it been? 600 and some odd years? 

How had his little brothers faired? Had their love stood the test of time? Thinking of them now, of how Yusuf and he used to bicker about what constituted as art. 

How they had pressed each other against a wall to place bruising kisses to each other's lips. Their ink smudged hands and paint stained fingers tracing patterns on each other's skin. 

How Nicolo and he had spent dawn many mornings sparring and making love in the grass. 

How they had loved to mediate as the first rays of the light had peeked over the horizon. 

He knew then that they must be just fine. Even if Yusuf had such backward thoughts on art. His twin comets - blazing across the sky and into his life. 

He took a breath, he didn't know what he was walking back into. But he knew he wasn't going to be leaving. 

Not even the old gods could pull him from his loves. He'd kill them all if he needed to. 

Sleep came to him quickly - his belly full, his mind at ease. 

The images that assaulted him were not what he expected. 

His comets strapped to metal tables, things poking and prodding at them. 

Two new immortals, one so broken he felt his heart break for him. Another so hopeful he felt his heart swell. 

He vowed to protect these two new ones as he had the others. To love them as he had the others. 

Quynh's rage creeped in again, her fury at the broken one - Sebastien. The name came to him dreamlike and beautiful.

Why had his loves abandoned Sebastien like this? He was hurting, he needed companionship not prejudice.

For now it seemed Sebastien and Quynh were getting along. He had no delusions of that happening when his sun and moon met. 

He would need to stop them, before they broke everything.

He opened his dreams to the others, the happiest memories he could pull. The secrets and promises whispered together in the dark. Promises that only had the stars and firelight as their witnesses. 

Morning came too soon, he awoke to a gun being pointed at him. 

He frowned at the French obscenities shoved at him. The derogatory way the Frenchman was speaking on his skin tone. 

Lykon moved snapping his neck before the man could fire. 

Lykon gritted his teeth and shot at his foot. Screaming in the pain. But he was rewarded to see his wounds slowly healing again. 

Not at slow as before but still slow. He worked around it. Taking the clothes from the corpse and putting them on.

Adjusting what he could. A few hours later, his foot had healed and he was dressed. 

He left the forest, seeing that it opened on a small French village.

He needed to get to Paris, somehow he knew that was where Quynh and Sebastien were. 


	2. Coming Home Part II

Lykon hitched a ride with some tourists out to Paris. It was 6 hours, he chatted with the tourists easily. 

He spoke of his upbringing how his mother discouraged going out of his neighborhood. How she had been fearful of anything new. It was why he wasn't caught up on the latest technology he explained to his new friends. 

His new friends took to his story excitedly showing him everything on their phones. 

It was a little overwhelming but he understood enough to get by. 

He had always been good at making friends, a talent that he knew his sun and moon lacked. 

It had helped in getting locals to trust them. 

They arrived in Paris by evening. Lykon bid his new friends adieu. They had insisted on giving him some money to buy a new phone. Their numbers scratched on the back of a piece of paper. 

He took the money and bought a few nights at a cheap hotel. 

Hopefully the dreams would be clearer tonight. 

He discarded his clothes, sighing as the hot water hit his skin. He hadn't realized how much he had needed the shower till now. It felt so good to wash away the grime and dirt. 

Modern marvels indeed.

After he had finally gotten out of the shower he opened the shaving kit he had bought. He had bought it with some extra money he had. 

He slowly shaved the unruly beard that had formed around his face. It felt like a weight had lifted as he shaved it all off. 

He sighed as he got into bed, he couldn't put this off any longer. He shifted in bed frowning to himself. 

He didn't like this, to be alone like this. Laying in bed like this. Whenever he had been naked before there had always been someone beside him. 

He couldn't remember the last time he had slept naked alone - probably as a child. 

He sighed and closed his eyes, he would get some food tomorrow morning.

He saw through Sebastien's eyes, the apartment building coming into focus. 

Quynh's face twisted in rage as she stood before the others. 

A blade in hand as she yelled at Andromache. Andromache who stood still, who didn't speak or raise a voice to defend herself. 

Quynh's face blazed, she gestured to Sebastien as well. Lykon couldn't hear what she was saying but he guessed she was defending him. 

Quynh had been alone for so long - she knew what Sebastien would go through. She knew that it would help nothing. 

Quynh's voice seemed to raise a roaring fire the longer Andromache remained silent. A blast of fire against a wall of ice. 

Sebastien was looking at his twin comets, at the newest member - Nile. There was so much pain and guilt in his mind. 

Sebastien suddenly moved grabbing Quynh as she lunged for Andromache.

Lykon woke up gasping, he got dressed and left. 

He didn't need to be here any longer, it was only an hour walk. He needed to hurry before Quynh did something irrevocable.

He got dressed and left, they didn't seem to know he was awake. At the very least he could catch them unaware. 

Maybe the element of surprise would help them.

He made it to the apartment building, he could feel them all in there. He trusted his senses to guide him. 

He came to a closed door, loud whispering. Quynh's voice rang clearer.

"No Sebastien this is not okay! You do not deserve this. Just as I did not deserve to be forgotten at the bottom of the sea!"

"You were not forgotten Quynh, we searched for you love. We -"

"Nicolo be quiet, my anger is not with you or Yusuf. It is with Andromache. She claims to have searched but where? What has she done? Why will she not speak to me?"

He took that as his cue to let himself in. 

He ignored the sounds of guns being cooked as he opened the door. He had picked the lock as he had listened. 

Andromache wasn't there, perhaps she had went out. Or had gone to another room. 

He met Quynh's wide eyes and gave a gentle smile. 

"Have you ever known our moon to answer when we demand one?"

Quynh gasped dropping her gun and tackling him into a hug sobbing into his shoulder. He held her close and smiled at the others. 

Slowly Nicolo and Yusuf rushed over. 

Sebastien and Nile shared a confused glance. 

Slowly he pushed the others away, offering them soft words of love in French. 

He sighed and stepped away from them and clasped a hand on Sebastien's shoulder. 

"Quynh is right. You are not staying here alone. Andromache should have known the gravity of being alone. She was before we came. She should not sentence you to that little asteroid."

Sebastien's eyes went wide and he just swallowed.

"You're Lykon aren't you? How are you alive man?"

He shrugged and gave a wink in answer. He looking up as he heard movement deeper in the apartment.

Andromache was staring at him from the doorway. She brushed at her eyes, trying and failing to keep herself together. 

He moved to her side and gave her a soft smile.

"Hello My Moon, what have we said of love and strength?"

Quynh sniffed as Andromache gave a water laugh and hugged him tightly. He held her close rubbing her back before he slowly pulled away.

"I - I do not know how this is possible."

He turned to Quynh.

"No more anger My Sun. Please, please talk to each other. I cannot watch you both hurt each other. 

Quynh gave a curt nodded and disappeared to find some alcohol presumably.

He lookes away finally turning to Nile's wide eyes. 

He gave a wide grin. 

"I think I'll call you Meteor. Blazing and brilliant, shaping the night skies as you move. A breath of fresh air to our family."

Nile gave a soft smile and bit her lip. She stood and clasped his hand. 

"What should I call you then Lykon?"

"Earth."

Sebastien said soflty drawing all eyes to him. He sniffed tears sliding down his cheeks. 

"He was earth wasn't he Boss?"

Andromache nodded as she stepped back to rub at her eyes. She looked happier than he had seen her in any of the dreams. 

Lykon moved to Sebastien and placed a careful hand around him. 

"I'm going to be there for you Sebastien. However you need that, but I will not leave. I promise."

Sebastien blinked and gave a long sigh. He nodded and laid his head on his shoulder gently. 

"Okay." He said soflty, quietly.


	3. Coming Together Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is inspired by Supernatural s15. I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> Rabia - Quynh  
> The Shadow - Lykon

They didn't trust the Winchesters and their pet angel. Clealry they needed someone to keep them on the straight on the narrow. 

They inwarldy chuckled at Castiel's glare. 

They didn't mind it, he was a gnat, an atom in a sea of them. 

Insignificant.

Fleeting. 

Unremarkable.

They stood to the side, watching at Dean and Castiel circled each other. Like two stars before they crashed and collapsed into a supernova.

Their grinned to themselves teeth sharp and salivating - oh wouldn't that be _wonderful_?

Castiel avoided them until he couldn't. Castiel looked broken after a hunt one night. He had left soon after coming back to the bunker. They had decided to follow.

Castiel stood on a railing overlooking some sea below - they were all the same to them. Bodies of slowly evaporating water. 

"Penny for your thoughts?"

They asked as they strolled closer. Castiel tensed and stared resolutely at the water below.

"What do you want? Why do you care? I'm not happy so leave me alone."

They laughed and grinned at Castiel's glare.

"Don't mistake me for your humans. I do not care, you interest me. Tell me what happened on the hunt. I'll leave for a few weeks how about that?"

Castiel sighed and looked at the sea.

"Angels - a - a couple. They had been eating souls. They - Sam and Dean had killed them before I got there. But they had missed a third angel. I saw the claimant around their neck. A triad pair. Dean hadn't understood when the angel only howled. Had fallen to the ground to crawl to the bodies. Hadn't understood that pain when the angel simply stopped moving."

Castiel stared over the sea to the horizon.

"I - I tried to stop them, to save them from what was to come. They had said I didn't understand, that I would never know this pain. Afterall what angel would mate with an angel that gladly became a human's pet?"

They hummed, eyes watching the horizon. They didn't care, they could feel the pain of Castiel. But they could feel all the pain from this universe - from the other worlds before they'd been extinguished by that false God. 

But that didn't mean they didn't want to talk. That's what this was, talking. They weren't going to make friends with something as broken as Castiel. 

"I am one of 7."

They started slowly, they could feel Castiel stiffen next to them. 

"W - where are the others?"

Castiel looked around them, at the sky waiting to be ambushed. 

"They - it was supposed to be a game. It was supposed to be _fun_."

They couldn't keep the bitterness from their voice. 

They decided to not look at Castiel. They didn't want to see the emotions there. 

"We - we are all we knew. We had birthed ourselves as a cluster every few universal cycles ad infantum."

Castiel's grip tightened on the railing, his breathing going fast. 

They noted absently he must be having a panic attack. They continued on.

"We - we do not have names for each other as much as sounds we identify with each other -"

"Like dolphins, they use whistles to call to each other."

Castiel interjected, his voice was tight. He looked to be bending the railing under his weight. 

They felt anger well up, how dare this gnat pretend to understand? They wanted to lash out leaving him a broken mess on the ground. 

They reigned their anger in, they wanted a witness they decided. One atom who knew what they were, who know of their loves. 

"I'll use our angelic names, it's easier for you to -"

Castiel's head shot up to look at them. 

"You - you were angels? _When_?"

They waved their hand to dismiss his question.

"Back before Heaven was fully made, before all the wars and bloodshed. Now be quiet so I can tell you a fucking story."

Castiel's mouth shut and his eyes went wide. But he was finally _quiet_.

They finally turned to look at Castiel, their smile wide and feral.

"We have been angels, stars, animals. We have been everything and everyone. We have walked through every iteration of creation."

They turned away and sighed sipping the wine they willed into existence. 

"Rabia, she - she was always up for something. We had tried to influence universes before. To guide planets and solar systems. It never went the way we wished. We had long since stopped trying to do anything but watch. Occasionally we'd make bets on a particular outcome but it was very boring for the most part."

They smiled wistfully. What they wouldn't give for those times back now. How they missed their loves now. It had been so quiet.

"Anyway, Rabia came to us with an idea for a game. Why not go _into_ creation? To walk among them to help aide them as we saw fit? Of course there were rules and stipulations for a winner."

They grinned draining their glass. Their sun was so brilliant.

"We'd stay together as much as possible, unless creation pulled us apart. We would not remember, the first one who did would win."

They let the glass fall shattering on the rocks below. They grinned as Castiel flinched. They loosened his mouth. 

"Where are they now? I assume the game continues?"

They nodded just as something broke - as a fail safe went off. 

They disappeared back into themselves. Into the void that was them trying to find the rules their sun had left all those cycles ago. 

_We are to not push the others away. The game is to try to stay together no matter what - no pushing each other away. No matter what happenes, we are above such silly atoms._

Someone had broken that rule. 

They reappeared Castiel hadn't moved. It had been only a nanosecond for him afterall. 

"You seem to miss them."

Castiel started carefully, when they didn't attack him his voice strengthened.

"So why have you not gone to them?"

They sighed now worried than annoyed. 

"They are too entrenched into creation. I suppose I won if I remembered. But we were not all together then so I doubt the others would count it. They have forgotten and I cannot see them. Everything looks like atoms - bits of creation. If I could find them perhaps I could see what the problem is."

They more murmured to themselves than to the angel.

Castiel inhaled and swallowed before he spoke again.

"What are they now do you know? Would they - if we found them for you -"

"Your debt would be forgotten yes. Family for family."

They said turning to look at Castiel in the eye. They hummed staring back at the water. 

"We - they are humans now. Humans who cannot die, who cannot age, humans who help those who cannot help themselves."

They ignored the snort of disbelief. If anything it made them colder.

"You have a month to find them. If you do not...well I wonder how you'll function without Sam."

Castiel growled but there was confusion in his eyes. 

"You couldn't even threaten me properly. I am closer to Dean -"

"Yes, but Dean loves Sam more than you yes? I wonder if he'll accept your love if he knows you're the reason his brother is gone."

They smiled viciously as Castiel paled and nodded.

"One month Clarence, don't disappoint me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went back and forth on who The Shadow should be Lykon or Quynh. And while The Shadow has Quynh's rage, I think Lykon suits it better. Especially since its so far from Lykon's actual personality. It speaks volumes to how much the seven of them needs to stay together.
> 
> I hope you all like the twist.


	4. Coming Together Part II

It didn't take a month, it took a year before Castiel and the Winchesters found anything. They were patient, it wasn't like Chuck was going anywhere. 

Chuck still hadn't unleashed his master plan, to be honest they weren't that worried. If Castiel was a gnat, Chuck was a star. Brighter than a gnat but one star in a sea of trillions. 

They appeared in the rafters, apparently their Moon had tracked the Winchesters movments.

They stood locked in a standstill in a barn. 

"Who are you? What do you want with us?"

Dean glared at them his gun cocked.

"Look Lady we want a friend free from a stupid deal. You're the key -"

Dean stumbled backward at the shot to his arm. He dropped his gun and as Sam reached for him the others charged. 

They felt a swell of pride at the efficiency. But where were the other two? They had hoped the failsafe trigger had been wrong. But this scene showed they'd been right. Something was very wrong. 

The sound of wings drew everyone's eyes to the barn doors. Guns and swords looked at the ready as the doors burst open. 

Castiel stilled at the scene, his angel blade slid into his hand. But his eyes went wide when he looked at his moon. 

"Andromache?"

So that was their Moon's name in this iteration. Interesting. Wait why did the gnat know it?

Andromache stilled and narrowed her eyes. 

"We've met?"

Castiel chuckled and dropped his blade much to the distressed noises of the Winchesters.

"Egypt, you saved the Pharaoh's son, I helped you smuggle him out."

Andromache's eyes went wide and she beamed. She strode toward Castiel pulling him into a tight hug. 

"Cassiel."

Castiel winced and shook his head looking away.

"Not - not anymore. Call me Castiel."

Andromache nodded and squeezed his shoulder.

"Andy then, it's quicker. You're going to tell me what the hell this is all about?"

She waved the others down. The only other woman spoke up narrowing her eyes at Castiel and the Winchesters.

"What is he?"

Andy turned to grin like a wolf at the other woman. 

"An angel."

The three others gasped in shock. The other woman clutched at the cross around her neck. 

Castiel had turned away from them to heal Dean. Dean didn't look pleased with these turn of events.

"You've known each other since the 10 plagues I'm guessing? What are you? Vampire? _Witch_?"

Andy snorted and crossed her arms. 

"Human, immortal humans. We don't know why either. Neither did Castiel when I asked him then."

Castiel nodded straightening pulling Dean to his feet. Sam looked perplexed and a little excited. 

It was - why were they listening to this?

The humans and angel tensed as they appeared. Guns were drawn on them but no one fired. 

They gave a cold grin and met Andromache's eyes. 

"Where are the others?"

Andromache blinked her mouth thinning in a line.

"Why should I tell you? How do you know about us?"

They simply shrugged.

"There is supposed to be seven. One is dead,"

The others flinched as they stepped closer. 

"So where the other two? I know they're alive."

One of them gasped but they didn't pay attention to who. They turned to Castiel, eyes cold and hungry.

"Find the other two, then we'll think on your debt."

They disappeared, they listened as Casriel brought them to the bunker to fill them in on everything that happened since Egypt.

Nicolo and Yusuf hands tightened at the thought of God being evil. They only laughed, oh if only their comets knew. 

It was a week later when Andy finally gave the location of one of the others. As she said, she only did so because she needed to get to him. Something was coming - bigger than them. They needed to be together.

They didn't wait to see what Castiel said in return. They appeared in Paris, in font of the rundown apartment building. 

They let their awareness go wide, creeping through the apartment. There - in apartment 2B that's where one of them were. 

They shifted their form into the human who had once gone by Lykon. 

They appeared in front of the apartment door and slipped inside. They didn't see the other right away but they were close. They moved through the living room, stilling as they heard a noise. 

The hall closet. 

They opened the door, their mask cracked. 

The man - Sebastien as Andromache called him coughed. Blood welled from his mouth he spit it out. His eyes were hollow and dull as they finally looked up at them. 

"H - help me?"

His chest was covered in dried blood, the collar around his neck dug into his skin. 

He opened his mouth to speak again but they had seen enough. The game needed to end. 

A touch to his temple and Sebastien's eyes went white, black veins crept from his eyes. 

Slowly he came back and met their eyes. They could see it, trying to of how to address them. So many names, so many lives...which name did he choose?

"Lykon."

They blinked, that wasn't the one they'd guessed but they nodded all the same and kneeled before them. 

"Dalazo -"

They slipped into their native tongue - older than enochian, and two times as beautiful. They reached for Dalazo only to still at the sharp jerk of Dalazo's head.

"No, no - Sebastien or Booker. I - I am not that enity. I - do not call me that Lykon."

Lykon simply nodded and helped free Sebastien. At this rate they would do whatever he wished. 

Sebastien staggered to his feet and sagged against them his body shaking. The lights around them dimmed and popped. 

They tried to steady them, to soothe them. 

"We'll get the others, this game needs to end this -"

"No, if - if they wish to continue let them. I just - I need sleep Lykon."

Lykon bit his lip and nodded.

"Who did this to you Sebastien?"

But he could already guess as Sebastien turned to the doorway. 

"Her."

Quynh stood in the doorway, shock and anger mixing on her face. Slowly knives slid into her fingers.

"I have no idea who the fuck you are, but you're not _Lykon_. Get away from what's _**mine**_ before I eviscerate you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll come back to this, thought this would end by chapter 2 lol. Evidently not.


	5. You Are Loved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a happy, fluffy idea but turned into a bit of angst...I took some inspiration for James's wife from some other lovely fics. I'll link them in the end.

Copley sighed as he opened the doors to Old Guard Preparatory Academy. How many times had he been here? 5? 10? How was it only the beginning of October?

"Ah, Mr.Copley right this way, your son is with the Principal now."

Copley nodded, running a hand down his face. 

"What did Sebastien do this time? Did he put glue in another kid's desk again?"

The receptionist stopped and shook her head. She gave him a sheepish smile. 

"It was actually Nicolo. He -"

Copley completely stopped walking and looked back at the receptionist...Amanda was it?

"You're tell me Nicky did something bad enough to get sent to the principals office? Are we talking about the same Nicky?"

Nicolo was his sweet middle child, sure he and Yusuf got into trouble now and then but he was a good kid. He was the first to apologize, the first to make the others laugh. 

  
What had happened to set him off?

Copley didn't wait for an answer from Amanda and strode into the Principal's office. 

Nicolo sat hunched in a chair, his knuckles bloody and cracked. But when he met his father's eyes they were steady. He didn't regret what he did. 

"Ah, James welcome. Honeslty I'm thinking of just giving you your own chair in my office."

The Principal Steven Merrick drawled as he leaned back in his leatherback chair. 

"They were bullying him. It was why Booker is always so sad."

Nicolo finally said in Italian. Copley had lived all around the world, he and his wife had adopted children from all over the world. When possible they had nurtured their mother language.

At home it was a beautiful blend of Greek, Vietnamese, Italian, Arabic and French. It was wonderful sight to see his children communicate so fluently. 

Merrick eyes narrowed and he gave Copley a cold look. 

"Here in The Old Guard Preparatory Academy we use English not Italian. What did your son say?"

"He said he was sorry, that he lost control and it won't happen again. Isn't that right Nicolo?"

Copley put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed it. Nicolo looked up at Merrick and repeated his father's words. His eyes downcast to complete the ashamed look. 

He would be a wonderful actor if he ever wished to it. Though secretly his wife and him hoped he continued with his passion for cooking - he was amazing.  
  
Merrick nodded accepting his son's apology. He cleared his throat and waited till Merrick met his eyes. 

"I'd like to take my kids home, I think its best for everyone."

Merrick nodded and told him to tell the receptionist. He led Nicky out of the office and they sit and wait for the others.

His 3 oldest strode toward them looking at him with varying levels of concern. He gave a quick shake of his head, not here. Though he assured them their mother was alright her condition hadn't gotten any worse. Soon Yusuf joined them with their youngest siblings. 

Nile at 10 was just excited to be going home early. Sebastien let go of Yusuf's hand and threw himself into Nicolo's arms hugging him tightly. 

Sebastien didn't let him go till they were all home. 

Copley gently herded Sebastien and Nicolo into his office. He trusted the older kids to handle Yusuf and Nile for the time being. 

His wife stopped playing as she saw the two boys. She fussed over them, giving them kisses and bandages. James felt himself smile as he saw his two quietest children began to smile and laugh. 

Nicolo finally opened up talking about the kid who was bullying Sebastien. Sebastian had been more withdrawn these last few weeks but had refused to tell anyone why. 

James and Sarah shared a look at least now they knew why. Sarah and he weren't pacifists by any means but they had taught their children to use their words first. From what Nicolo said it seemed he had tried before his temper had gotten the best of him. 

Sebastien hung his head and curled into James arms as Nicolo recounted the whole story. 

When James gently pushed Sebastien away to ask if this was all true, he was surprised to see silent tears sliding down his face.

  
James wiped the tears away. He hummed one of Sarah's piano compositions to him softly. He knew how much Sebastien loved to listen to her practice, that usually calmed him down. 

"What is mon coeur, can you use your words to tell me what's bothering you? Remember whatever you say we still love you Mon Ami. We'll figure this out together." 

Sebastien had been taken from the foster system in France when he was 5. He'd been in 12 homes in 5 years. As a result he had gone mute with some deep rooted trust and abandonment issues. 

James and Sarah had worked with him especially hard to get him to trust them and talk to them. Still James liked to remind him every once and while there was no fear of leaving, of him being given away again. 

"The - Declan made fun of my stutter. He - he said that I was worthless and -"

James closed his eyes if he ever saw this _Declan_ boy he'd kill him. Why were kids so cruel?

Sebastien looked at his hands, at sniffed. At 13 he didn't like to be held as much but it seemed today was an exception.

"What - what if Declan is right? What if I am -"  
"No! La familglia. Sebastien don't you understand that?" 

Nicolo turned away from where Sarah was dabbing antiseptic on his knuckles. He cupped Sebastien's face. He touched their foreheads together.

"You are the soul of this family Sebastien."

He murmured softly kissing his forehead. 

James didn't remember the rest of the day but he saw the the older kids give Sebastien more attention than usual. Lykon even showed Sebastien how to make his own wood carvings - something Sebastien has been bugging him about for _weeks_. 

They weren't out of the woods yet but at least Sebastien could remember how much he is loved. 

Sarah and he sat on the porch late at night after the kids had gone to bed. 

"We got lucky didn't we Mr.Copley?"

Sarah teased smiling at James. James smiled at her and kissed her hand.

"We did Ms.Brown, we really did."

**Author's Note:**

> I just - they love each other so much.


End file.
